Kingston Waterfront Pathway

The signature run in Kingston is the 11 km of pathways along the waterfront. This is a wide section of the St. Lawrence River, so the feeling is more like running along the ocean or one of the Great Lakes. In addition to some great views, the path, which is narrow in sections, connects several parks and visitor sites.  The route parallels King St. most of the way, with numerous inland parks for add-ons.

The eastern end starts off River St., about 2 km from downtown, where the Great Cataraqui River spills into the St. Lawrence. Run along the waterfront path, doing a loop of Doug Fluhrer Park. After an 0.7 km section along the road, rejoin the Waterfront Pathway in downtown Kingston, passing the iconic Kingston City Hall and the Maritime Museum as you run through Battery Park, MacDonald Park, and Breakwater Park to the Gord Downie Memorial Pier. Here, you’re at 6 km, so this could be a good turnaround point.

The next section is ~1 km along King St. and then a loop around the former Kingston Penitentiary — in service from 1880-2013, now a museum, and one of the nicest settings we’ve ever seen for a jail! Continue around the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, and along the water for another 2 km to Lake Ontario Park.

Add-Ons: Just inland from King St., additional paths in City Park, around Queen’s University, and Lake Ontario Park. At the west end, there’s a scenic 2 km trail through the Marshlands Conservation Area. At the east end, you can add a jaunt out to Belle Island on a waterfront path — it’s 5 km out and back.

Parkrun: Breakwater Park is the location for a weekly Parkrun, Saturdays 9am.